Page 51 of Just A Chance

“Maybe I should humble you, then.” She spins around so quickly I barely refrain from body slamming her.

“Bring it.” I rub my palms together.

“Okay.” Her eyes rove over my body searching for imperfections. There are many. As anyone else who knows me can point out. But something tells me, I’ll still enjoy it. “Well, your hair is… I mean your eyes…” She purses her lips. “Your nose is a tad crooked.”

“I broke it in the eighth grade when I walked into a pole while looking at my phone.”

“You did not.” She laughs.

“I did. Texting and walking is an extreme sport. Now come on, what else do you have?”

Her eyes peruse my body again and I enjoy every inch they travel.

“Your muscles could be bigger,” she says absently.

I grin. “Good to know. Thanks for the constructive feedback.”

“And your ability to listen to directions is atrocious.”

“Agreed. Though we may be getting off track no—”

“And the way you talk to every woman. It’s like you’re constantly flirting.”

My eyebrows shoot to the sky. She clamps her lips shut. She’s jealous.Verygood to know.

“I’ll work on that,” I muse. “I’d hate to give people the wrong impression. Especially when there’s only one woman I’m interested in.” I lean closer, making my intent clear.

“And that.” She sticks a finger at my face. “That charm. It’s… repulsive.”

The quiver in her voice tells a different story.

“If you insist. But charming Sean is way more fun.”

She looks at me. Like really looks at me, for so long I start to worry if I’ve got a rogue nose hair she’s about to point out. That would be terribly inconvenient.

“I think there's more to you than you let others see.”

I lean against the counter. “Like what?”

Her eyebrows narrow in concentration. “Like how much you care. You pretend things don’t hurt you, but you’re human like the rest of us. You’re sentimental and passionate.”

Hmm. I’m not sure how I feel about those…compliments?

“I get it, though,” she continues. “For a long time, I hid a part of myself I thought was less desirable. But that didn’t make me happy. What makes you happy?”

Truly? Kissing her would make me ecstatic. But I get what she’s saying. She’s allowing me to open that part of myself to her.

What makes me happy? My mind is utterly and completely blank. Why can’t I think of anything?

I swallow and stand up straighter. “You really did humble me. Good job.”

“Sean,” she starts, but then her voice falls flat.

I turn away. I think there’s another cabinet somewhere here I can fix. If not, I’ll break one so I can fix it.

“Sean?” she says again, stopping me in my tracks.

“Hm?”